It was a forgettable evening for the Pakistan soccer workforce after a thumping 4-0 loss towards India in its opening match of the 2023 SAFF Championship match on the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Wednesday.
Amidst the lacklustre efficiency, Otis Khan was one of many brighter sparks for the Pak Shaheens, down the left channel. Despite not posing any substantial hazard to his marker Pritam Kotal and the Indian defence typically, Khan confirmed promise and along with his talent on the ball in phases, proved why he was one of many most-talked-about footballers within the Pakistan marketing campaign forward of the match.
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“Very disappointed [with the result]. We had some good training up to this, with the Four-Nations Cup. Obviously, we are a new team, and we need more chemistry together. India is an established team. They have played with each other for a long time, and it showed today on the pitch. We have been playing together for the past couple of months. But we got to be positive and prepare for Saturday’s game [against Kuwait].” Khan mentioned after the match.
A product of the Manchester United youth academy, Khan performs for Grimsby Town within the fourth tier of English soccer. Despite being born in England, in May 2023, Khan obtained his clearance from FIFA to play for Pakistan in May 2023 because it was the birthplace of his grandfather.
Pakistan’s battles off the pitch
The situations weren’t splendid for Pakistan main as much as its match towards India. A number of days again, Shahzad Anwar and his workforce didn’t even know whether or not they may take part within the SAFF championship. From not receiving the NOC (No-Objection Certificate) from the Ministry, a pending visa subject, to gamers lacking their flight- it’s secure to say it has been a difficult highway for Otis and his teammates.
“It’s been crazy. We were supposed to get the visa on Sunday. Then we waited till Monday. Then we found out we are flying on Tuesday. Then, half the team missed their flight from Mumbai and came just today morning. There was a lot of messing about at the airport.”
“I didn’t arrive…half the team didn’t arrive at the hotel till four pm. The biggest game for Pakistan in the last 10 years, and you got just three hours to prepare with no sleep and no food. But we don’t want to make any excuses. The best won on the day today,” Khan mentioned highlighting the challenges confronted by the workforce.
Khan mentioned it was at all times going to be a large problem going through a workforce like India, that too with such a brand new workforce.
“No matter how much you plan and prepare, game plans often go out of the window when the play starts on the pitch. You have to adapt. India was the better team today, and I wish them all the luck moving forward.”
Sloppy errors
Pakistan conceded 4 towards India on the evening, nevertheless it was the primary that needed to harm probably the most, particularly for goalkeeper Saqib Hanif. In the tenth minute, he planted a kick straight at Chhetri, who slotted the ball into an empty web. Pakistan couldn’t get better from that, and every little thing went downhill from there.
“I think that’s the way it has gone for us, in the Four-Nations Cup in Mauritius as well. It is the little mistakes. In the Djibouti match we scored, and then ten seconds later, we conceded a sloppy goal. These mistakes don’t help us at all. We have to build from a good platform and play put better from the back.”
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The Pakistan workforce needed to endure their fair proportion of booing earlier than and through the match. The scuffle with India head coach Igor Stimac that led to him getting a crimson card didn’t assist Pakistan’s case.
“It is like entering the lion’s den- Pakistan coming to India. We knew it was going to be a tough game and that we won’t have any fans in the stadium. I have played in front of thirty-thousand people in England, but thirty-thousand in India sounds like sixty-thousand.”
Asked if the moist situations posed a problem, Khan mentioned that situations have been the identical for India as effectively – “I don’t want to give the wet conditions as an excuse but being stranded in the airport and preparing for the game without food, and sleep doesn’t help.”
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com